The 2024 edition of the Mongol Derby is a go!
Before the race had even started proper, the 44-strong field of riders had already thinned to 43, following a run-in with a marmot burrow which resulted in a broken collar bone during a pre-race training day. You gotta be made of sturdy stuff to contest the longest and toughest horse race on earth, that’s for sure.
The location: the Mongolian steppe; the duration: 10 days; the horses: small but mighty, semi-feral herd dwellers which must be handled with extreme care and attention, prone to dumping riders and even refusing to be mounted, and which can and do gallop off with all the riders’ survival gear; the riders: vastly experienced horsepeople from across the world with an impressively fierce, wild spirit to match their steeds. Meet them here.
Yes, the Mongol Derby is an epic race, but over and above all else, it’s a test of horsemanship. The guiding principle of the event is ‘horses before humans’, with an elite team of equine veterinarians at every horse station and hefty penalties for any rider whose horse fails to meet the strict demands of the rules at each checking point. As well as managing their horse’s welfare, the competitors also have to navigate their way between the horse stations along the race route, taking into account geographical obstacles as well as planning for hydration points for their rides. It truly is a race that tests resilience, endurance and skill and promises to be exciting from start to finish, for those involved and for us watching on in comfort from home.
Race news will be posted daily on the Equestrianists website, you can follow the riders’ progress on the live tracker, and keep eyes on @mongolderby for all the action shots and info as the race unfolds.
I spent much of last year’s race marveling at the spicy, feisty Mongolian ponies, enthralled by their antics and rhapsodizing over my total love for diminutive equines with enormous spirit. Fast forward a year and I’ve now got my own lil’ guy, who’s turned out to be rather more similar to his Mongolian cousins than I’d banked on. Be careful what you wish for.
Kick on and go eventing!
U.S. Weekend Preview
Fair Hill International Recognized H.T. (Elkton, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
GMHA Festival of Eventing August H.T. (South Woodstock, VT) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Masterson Equestrian Trust YEH/NEH Qualifier (Lexington, KY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]
Otter Creek Summer H.T. (Wheeler, WI) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
WindRidge Farm Summer H.T. (Mooresboro, NC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Woodside Summer H.T (Woodside, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
UK International Events
Hartpury International Incorporating the British Championships (Gloucestershire) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]
Thursday News and Reading
Changes to the FEI World Rankings. Britain’s team gold medalist from Paris Tom McEwen has overtaken fellow Brit and current European Champion Ros Canter at the top of the standings, pushing 2024 Kentucky winner Oliver Townend down to third. Belgian Luhmühlen winner Lara de Liedekerke-Meier holds onto fourth spot and the USA’s Boyd Martin has moved up from sixth to fifth.
Exciting job opps on both sides of the Pond. British eventing legend William Fox-Pitt has openings in his barn, and Pan-Ams gold medalist and Paris Olympian Caroline Pamukcu is looking for an assistant rider to join her team. Yes to both.
The USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund is providing financial assistance to those affected by the fifth-largest wildfire in California’s history. You can read more about how the fund is helping during this difficult time here, and, if you’re able to, you can donate here.
New research shows that blindfolding horses in emergency situations is not the way forward. The study found that, contrary to existing belief, using blindfolds in fact increased the time it took to lead horses away from dangerous situations and was seen to adversely impact stress levels and behavior. Find out more about the research methods and findings here.
Now the Olympic equestrian events are over for another four years, let’s take a look at some of the non-horsey happenings at the Games: You may have noticed that we love a great photo here at EN, usually of horses but we’ll take an emotional rider shot too. Well, this too-good-not-to-share photo gallery isn’t horse-related, but it does feature a goat, namely the USA’s Simone Biles, arguably the greatest gymnast of all time. The cycling road race is pretty lengthy and the crowd indulged in other Olympic events whilst they waited for the competitors to whizz into view: this guy has a go at replicating the home crowd hero, king of the pool, La Baguette (AKA Leon Marchand) and these guys take on the alternative men’s 100m. Now for some real-life-meets-Olympics – things get romantic in the badminton mixed doubles; the youngest ever competitor spotted at the shooting at minus 2.5 months; a gender reveal at the swimming; and a quick turnaround from fatherhood at 2am to Olympic competitor at 8am; also, US swimming star and most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps has introduced his cute baba to the world of competitive sport early. I’ll wrap all this up fittingly with some Olympic spirit.
Video Break
Take some time out to experience the Mongol Derby in all its horsey and cultural glory in this documentary of last year’s race:
